THE  FINANCIAL  BASIS 


- OF - 

EVANGELIZATION. 


A  Paper  Read  at  the  Missionary  Convention  op 
Synod  of  Michigan,  1879, 

By  the  REV.  JNO.  C.  HILL. 


PUBLISHED  BY  ORDER  OP  THE  SYNOD. 


TYY  evangelization  I  mean  every  scheme  of  Gospel 
Work,  not  merely  the  heralding  of  the  Gospel  at 
home  and  abroad,  but  every  collateral  scheme;  the 
training  of  the  ministry,  the  erection  of  buildings  for 
churches  and  schools,  the  translation  and  printing  of  the 
Bible  and  a  religious  literature.  It  includes  everything 
that  is  necessary  to  fulfil  our  Lord’s  command :  “  Preach 
the  Gospel  to  every  creature.”  This  work  is  of  such  a 
nature  that  it  must  have  a  financial  basis.  The  Gospel 
cannot  preach  itself.  Religion  cannot  be  perpetuated  by 
innoculation.  It  requires  money  to  do  it.  The  Gospel  is 
not  free.  It  never  was;  somebody  has  always  had  to 
pay  for  it. 


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The  very  first  religious  actions  of  which  wc  have 
record  involved  a  financial  question.  The  first  sacrifices 
were  beyond  all  doubt  offered  in  accordance  with  Divine 
instruction,  and  in  such  offerings  there  is  essentially  a 
financial  element.  The  blessings  of  salvation  are  free, 
but  the  Gospel  is  not  salvation.  It  is  the  news  of  salva¬ 
tion.  News  costs  .money.  We  obtain  in  our  morning 
paper,  for  five  cents,  news  that  often  costs  many  thou¬ 
sand  dollars.  Now  the  Gospel  is  the  way  by  which  the 
blessings  are  brought  to  us,  but  it  costs  money  to  do  it. 
The  Gospel  cost  from  the  very  first,  and  it  will  until  the 
Lord  comes. 

When  religion  was  universal,  the  father  was  the 
priest  of  the  household;  under  such  conditions  we  might 
think  that  religion  did  not  require  money  to  keep  it 
alive,  but  it  did.  There  is  no  priest  without  an  altar,  and 
a  priest  and  an  altar  are  nothing  without  a  sacrifice, 
and  a  sacrifice  costs  something.  We  find  Noah,  Job  and 
Melchisedeck  performing  the  functions  of  priests,  making- 
offerings — and  these  involved  expense.  After  the  cere¬ 
monies  of  religion  were  systematized  by  Moses,  and  a 
more  elaborate  ritual  established,  religion  becomes  more 
expensive,  and  the  amount  that  each  one  was  to  give, 
was  fixed  by  divine  law.  One  tenth  was  the  minimum t 
In  addition  to  the  tithe  however  there  were  offerings; 
these  came  from  the  people  of  their  own  free  will,  and  it 
has  been  computed  that  the  amount  from  this  source 
exceeded  the  total  of  the  tithes. 

The  tithe  however  was  not  first  used  under  the 
Mosaic  economy.  We  find  references  to  the  custom  in 
the  days  of  Abraham,  Job  and  Melchisedeck,  and  in 
addition  to  this  we  have  a  score  of  references  in  the 


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classics  of  Rome  and  Greece  to  a  similar  custom,  the 
devoting  of  a  tenth  of  one’s  increase  to  the  gods,  or  a 
tenth  of  the  spoil  of  war  as  a  thanksgiving  for  victory. 
It  is  clear  that  the  devoting  of  the  tenth  was  from  the 
very  first  a  divine  institution,  as  much  so  as  the  institu¬ 
ting  of  sacrifice.  We  would  not  find  people  in  widely 
different  circumstances  doing  the  same  thing  unless  the 
custom  had  a  common  origin.  The  tithe  we  believe  was 
an  essential  part  of  religion.  No  one  takes  it  for  granted 
that  everything  that  was  written  in  Moses’  laws  was 
then  known  for  the  first  time.  This  is  very  evident,  as 
already  shown,  on  comparing  previous  scripture  refer¬ 
ences  with  well  known  heathen  customs.  We  must 
therefore  see  that  a  great  part  of  these  laws  were  simply 
the  crystalization  of  the  well  known  and  at  one  time  uni¬ 
versal  religious  customs  of  mankind.  Moses’  laws  were 
designed  to  save  religion,  what  there  was  left,  for  the 
world  and  secure  a  basis  for  future  growth. 

This  tenth  was  required  by  God,  and  if  it  was  not 
paid  he  considered  it  robbery.  “  Will  a  man  rob  God  ? 
Yet  ye  have  robbed  me.  But  ye  say,  wherein  have  we 
robbed  thee?  In  tithes  and  offerings.”  Religion  has 
been  essentially  the  same  always,  money  is  an  essential ; 
hence  we  must  emphasize  the  necessity  of  money  under 
the  Gospel. 

If  in  a  primitive  dispensation,  one  tenth  was  given 
and  this  was  continued,  and  added  to  in  the  provision 
for  free  will  offerings,  under  the  Mosaic,  we  must  certain¬ 
ly  have  something  under  the  present  dispensation  that 
will  secure  the  same  end.  If  not  a  tithe — a  tenth,  there 
must  be  something  to  correspond  to  it. 

When  our  Lord  was  training  his  disciples  for  the 


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future  work  of  organization,  he  knew  all  the  circumstan¬ 
ces  under  which  they  would  be  required  to  act.  He 
must  have  looked  at  the  financial  basis  of  evangelization. 
But  we  do  not  find  the  record  of  definite  instructions 
given  to  his  disciples  as  to  all  the  minute  details  of 
organization  and  financial  support,  but  there  was  instead 
of  this,  the  promise  of  the  Spirit  to  guide  them  and  assist 
their  memories.  We  are  fully  persuaded  that  the  apos¬ 
tles  wrere  infallibly  guided  in  all  they  did  in  the  reorgan¬ 
izing  of  the  Church  of  God.  The  synagogue  was  the 
basis,  the  officers  of  the  synagogue  were  retained  in  the 
particular  church.  The  synagogue  required  money,  so 
would  the  future  church  and  her  particular  churches. 
And  so  we  find,  that  no  sooner  does  the  Christian  form 
of  the  church  become  a  fact,  than  we  have  a  statement 
made  as  to  financial  matters.  “  They  that  believed  were 
together  and  had  all  things  in  common ;  and  sold  their 
possessions  and  goods  and  parted  with  them  to  all  men, 
as  every  man  had  need.”  Again,  a  little  further  on  in 
the  history,  we  read  that  those  who  had  “  lands  or 
houses,  sold  them  and  brought  the  price  of  the  things 
that  were  sold,  and  laid  them  down  at  the  apostles’  feet ; 
and  distribution  was  made  to  every  man  according  as  he 
had  need.”  Then  we  find  men  appointed  specially  for 
this  work, — the  superintendence  of  the  financial  affairs 
of  the  church.  In  the  Epistles  we  have  frequent  refer¬ 
ences  to  collections,  directions  for  the  gathering  of  them 
and  references  to  the  support  of  preachers.  Now,  as  we 
have  seen  that  the  Gospel  needs  money,  we  cannot  be¬ 
lieve  that  these  directions  and  exhortations  were  given 
at  hap-hazard,  but  that  in  every  word  referring  to  finan¬ 
cial  as  fully  as  to  doctrinal  matters,  these  scriptures  are 


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“  inspired-of-God.”  We  believe  that  these  things  are 
the  divinely  established  precedents  for  the  guidance  of 
the  church  in  all  ages.  Why  did  not  inspiration  extend 
over  from  the  first  century  on  into  the  second  and  third? 
Simply  because  there  was  no  need  of  it.  The  first  gives 
enough  of  principle,  precept  and  precedent  to  guide  the 
church  in  the  conduct  of  all  her  affairs,  financial  and 
spiritual,  until  the  Lord  himself  comes  again.  We  have 
in  the  New  Testament  our  precedents  for  organization, 
for  officers,  for  courts,  for  discipline  for  immorality  and 
heresy,  and  for  the  conduct  of  finances  as  well. 

We  have  no  special  word  from  Christ,  nor  reference 
by  an  apostle  to  the  fact  that  the  law  of  the  tithe  was 
continued,  but  we  must  not,  we  cannot  reason  therefrom 
that  the  law  is  not  to  be  at  least  a  guide  in  the  financial 
affairs  of  the  reorganized  church.  Have  we  then  any 
definite  principle  that  can  be  put  into  actual  practice  by 
us  to-day  ?  We  have.  The  basis  of  the  whole  matter  is 
the  truth  that :  “  The  earth  is  the  Lord's  and  the  fullness 
thereof!  The  Lord  allowed  the  Hebrews  to  use  nine- 
tenths  of  what  he  gave  them,  the  other  tenth  he  reserved 
for  himself,  it  was  all  His  however.  All  we  have  is  God’s, 
and  the  proper  spirit  in  this  matter  that  we  call  “giving” 
is  not:  how  much  can  I  spare  for  the  Lord,  but,  how 
much  of  this  that  he  has  given  me  does  the  Lord  allow 
me  to  use  for  myself.  I  repeat:  All  things  belong  to 
God.  We  cannot  “give”  him  anything  in  the  strict 
sense.  We  are  simply  permitted  to  use  a  little  and  our 
aim  should  be  to  see  how  little  we  can  get  along  with  for 
ourselves  and  accept  it  as  God’s  gift  and  use  all  the  rest 
as  he  demands. 

This  is  the  financial  basis  of  the  Gospel.  It  is 


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stated  in  very  sweeping  terms,  but  we  do  not  believe 
it  can  be  stated  too  strongly  at  such  a  time  as  this.  The 
Church  of  Christ  to-day  does  not  seem  to  know  what  her 
Lord  requires  of  her.  Financial  matters  have  for  the  past 
half  century  been  a  continual  drag,  and  while  the  Lord 
is  preparing  the  way  for  the  use  of  what  is  his  own,  his 
people  hold  it  tenaciously,  as  though  the  Lord  had  no 
right  to  it.  Every  scheme  of  evangelization  languishes. 
There  is  a  continual  cry — a  strong  cry,  for  money ;  not 
only  from  those  having  charge  of  the  great  agencies  of 
our  churches,  but  in  our  individual  churches  for  home 
necessities.  Is  this  normal  ?  Do  you  believe  that  the 
Lord  looks  with  favor  on  such  a  condition  of  things  ? 
How  can  we  expect  his  blessing  when  we  rob  him  ?  It 
is  robbery  to  refuse  to  refund  his  own.  It  is  robbery 
to  build  such  gorgeous  churches  that  we  cannot  pay  for, 
or  to  hamper  ourselves  in  any  way  in  aiding  various 
schemes  of  evangelization !  Why  is  it  that  our  churches 
in  foreign  fields  add  more  to  the  Lord  than  our  church¬ 
es  at  home  in  proportion  to  their  members  ?  I  believe  it 
it  is  because  most  of  them  are  organized  on  an  apostolic 
financial  basis.  Why  is  it  that  our  great  Presbyterian 
Church  is  almost  standing  still  ?  Five  years  ago  our  net 
increase  in  membership  was  about  29,000,  the  next  year 
it  dropped  to  22,000,  the  next  to  10,000  and  last  year  our 
net  gain  was  only  about  7,000.  Read  our  financial  re¬ 
cord  and  you  will  find  that  while  the  church  is  increas¬ 
ing  in  the  aggregate,  yet  the  amount  set  apart  to  God  is 
steadily  decreasing.  I  believe  we  are  cursed  with  a 
curse,  even  this  whole  nation — “  Bring,  ye,  then,  all  the 
tithes”  -a  tithe  to  the  Jew,  but  it  is  a  tithe  and  a  great 
deal  more  for  the  Christian — li  Bring  ye,  then,  all  the 


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tithes  into  the  storehouse,  and  prove  me  now  herewith, 
saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts;  if  I  will  not  open  you  the  win¬ 
dows  of  heaven  and  pour  you  out  a  blessing.”  Do  not 
say,  this  is  in  the  Old  Testament  and  that  it  referred 
to  the  Jews.  It  is  in  God’s  word  and  is  addressed  to 
God’s  people  and  if  he  found  occasion  to  rebuke  them  so, 
he  by  this  word  also  rebukes  us,  and  that  promise  and 
its  conditions  are  for  us  as  though  we  only  received  them 
as  a  revelation  from  the  Lord  to-day. 

Why  is  it  that  evangelization  is  hampered  for  want 
of  money  ?  It  is  clearly  because  the  Lord’s  people 
have  not  been  instructed  properly  on  this  subject. 
Many  ministers  are  afraid  to  preach  about  money ;  peo¬ 
ple  will  call  them  beggars.  The  people  sometimes  ask  : 
When  is  this  continual  begging  to  stop  ?  I  would  say, 
stop  it  at  once,  if  it  is  begging.  It  is  not  begging,  it 
is  simply  asking  for  the  Lord  what  is  his  own,  and  this 
is  never  to  stop,  I  say,  until  the  Lord  himself  conies 
again.  Every  minister  and  elder  would  acknowledge 
that  there  ought  to  be  a  better  state  of  things  financially 
all  along  the  line.  Well,  then,  if  there  ought  to  be,  there 
may  be.  How  are  we  to  bring  it  about  ?  Preach  the 
Word.  Be  of  good  courage.  Fear  not.  It  is  in  the 
Word,  it  is  enjoined.  You  cannot  go  astray  in  it.  I 
find  it  all  through.  It  is  a  part  of  the  Gospel  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  we  fail  in  preaching  the  Gospel 
unless  we  make  plain  to  the  people  that  there  must  be 
a  substantial  financial  basis  for  our  work  of  evangeliza¬ 
tion. 

People  may  not  like  it  at  first.  They  will  not.  It  is 
quite  natural.  The  natural  heart  receiveth  not  the  things 
of  the  Spirit.  And  this  financial  basis  of  evangelization 


is  one  of  the  things  of  the  Spirit,  and  clearly  revealed  by 
the  Spirit  in  the  Word  of  God  to  be  the  law  of  the 
church,  and  the  natural  heart,  of  course,  does  not  like  to 
believe  in  it  any  more  than  it  takes  pleasure  in  being 
told  that  it  is  under  the  condemnation  of  God’s  law. 
But  if  we  preach  the  whole  Gospel  with  its  financial 
basis  in  faithfulness,  God  will  take  care  of  the  results. 


